Andrew Gastelum

Weekly Picks

The Bargain Hunter - Week 15

Much like the last gameweek, I’m going to keep things brief in the introduction considering the short turnaround and supply of Rotoworld content ahead of the busy Saturday schedule.

Of last week’s picks, Wayne Hennessey proved to be the best recommendation, recording nine points due to a clean sheet and three bonus points. Meanwhile, my recent pick in Robbie Brady shined with a goal and assists while Matt Ritchie also picked up two assists for Newcastle.

Without further delay, here are the bargain hits and misses ahead of Gameweek 15. I’m welcoming all suggestions and debates on Twitter (@gastelumEPL) and hopefully I can include your thoughts here in this column.

All of the stats used in this column come straight from the Premier League on a weekly basis. Our friends at FPL.com take the data from a thousand private leagues, all of which consist of eight teams, in order to minimize the impact of data from public leagues where autopick drafting is more prevalent. Of course, it’s just a sample size, so it’s not hard and fast; but it should give us a good idea of the tendencies of FPL Draft leagues and managers. Remember, the waivers deadline is a full 24 hours before the first game of the week, and the lowest-placed team in your league gets the first pick.

One-week Pick (OWP) - When a regular is suspended for a match, ineligible to face his parent club as a loanee, or his fill-in looks to deputize for only a week while the regular nurses a minor injury, this is where to find some replacements. They should only be looked at when you really need help at a position that week alone, and not looked at as long term plays. Best for salary cap leagues with unlimited transactions, not so much for draft leagues.

Short-term Pick (STP) - When a regular faces a multi-game suspension, an injury layoff lasting 2-5 weeks, international commitment, etc., this is where you look for players that can offer more beyond one week but do have a limited shelf life in most cases. Worth using a waiver claim or spending a bit more of your free agent budget (FAAB) than the One Week Buys. Can be useful in salary-cap format as long as you are comfortable with possibly needing to transfer them out in a few weeks. Also someone used as a

Long-term Picks (LTP) - When a regular is either facing a month or more out or has lost his spot seemingly to someone better, these are the players that emerge as potential long-term investments and are therefore the most valuable of the group and worth paying up. Great for any format, but especially valuable in draft leagues with limited waiver claims.

Let’s start things off with my favorite pick of the week in Andreas Christensen. The young Danish international finally returned to the club this summer after spending two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, where his stalwart performance caught the eye of Barcelona. After seeing inconsistent playing time to start the season, Christensen has been one of Antonio Conte’s most reliable defenders in recent weeks, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the last four games, where the club has recorded three cleans sheets.

My fear is that the defender will be rested for the weekend match against Newcastle to rotate the squad, but I think Christensen is a great way to break into the Chelsea defense with that upcoming schedule. David Luiz’s fallout has only worked in his favor, and since he’s available in more than 70 percent of leagues in our latest FPL Draft sample, I consider Christensen to be a long-term option

Another young defender that has impressed me lately is Jonjoe Kenny. The 20-year-old has proven his worth as a fullback, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in each of the last six Premier League games. And in this week’s 4-1 thrashing of West Ham, Kenny put together his best performance yet: an 11-point outing complete with a clean sheet, an assist and two bonus points.

The club’s upcoming schedule isn’t too bad with Huddersfield, Liverpool, Newcaslte and Swansea City leading up to Gameweek 19. The recent hiring of Sam Allardyce as manager could shake things up in the squad, but with Leighton Baines nursing an injury and Seamus Coleman out into the new year, Kenny looks like a solid short-term pick who is available in 99 percent of FPL Draft leagues.

MID–Marc Albrighton (Leicester City)

I’ve put this pick off for much of the past month, and Albrighton showed me why I should trust my instincts more over the past week alone. The winger has been started as a roaming forward alongside Jamie Vardy in recent weeks, which has finally resulted in consecutive man-of-the-match performances that earned his three points in two games this week, scoring a goal against West Ham and recording an assist in an upset win over Spurs this weekend.

Now, I wouldn’t go out of your way to add Albrighton to your squad if you’re already set in midfield, but he could make for an excellent fifth midfielder who is a guaranteed part of the club’s attack. And there’s no rush either: Albrighton is taken in only 7.7 percent of leagues in our latest FPL Draft sample, meaning you can monitor him given the Foxes’ favorable upcoming schedule.

I haven’t been completely sold on the bargain forwards over the last month considering most quality forwards will already be taken. But Andre Gray has quietly put together a solid month of November for Watford with two goals and three assists in November despite fighting for his starting spot in the club’s crowded attack.

The return and resurgence of Troy Deeney is concerning, but the club is invested in Andre Gray as one of its top summer investments after a nine-goal season at Burnley that proved himself in the top flight. Gray is taken in just a little more than half of our sample of FPL Draft leagues, but he could be worth a look as a third striker depending on your depth at the position.

Much like the last gameweek, I’m going to keep things brief in the introduction considering the short turnaround and supply of Rotoworld content ahead of the busy Saturday schedule.

Of last week’s picks, Wayne Hennessey proved to be the best recommendation, recording nine points due to a clean sheet and three bonus points. Meanwhile, my recent pick in Robbie Brady shined with a goal and assists while Matt Ritchie also picked up two assists for Newcastle.

Without further delay, here are the bargain hits and misses ahead of Gameweek 15. I’m welcoming all suggestions and debates on Twitter (@gastelumEPL) and hopefully I can include your thoughts here in this column.

All of the stats used in this column come straight from the Premier League on a weekly basis. Our friends at FPL.com take the data from a thousand private leagues, all of which consist of eight teams, in order to minimize the impact of data from public leagues where autopick drafting is more prevalent. Of course, it’s just a sample size, so it’s not hard and fast; but it should give us a good idea of the tendencies of FPL Draft leagues and managers. Remember, the waivers deadline is a full 24 hours before the first game of the week, and the lowest-placed team in your league gets the first pick.

One-week Pick (OWP) - When a regular is suspended for a match, ineligible to face his parent club as a loanee, or his fill-in looks to deputize for only a week while the regular nurses a minor injury, this is where to find some replacements. They should only be looked at when you really need help at a position that week alone, and not looked at as long term plays. Best for salary cap leagues with unlimited transactions, not so much for draft leagues.

Short-term Pick (STP) - When a regular faces a multi-game suspension, an injury layoff lasting 2-5 weeks, international commitment, etc., this is where you look for players that can offer more beyond one week but do have a limited shelf life in most cases. Worth using a waiver claim or spending a bit more of your free agent budget (FAAB) than the One Week Buys. Can be useful in salary-cap format as long as you are comfortable with possibly needing to transfer them out in a few weeks. Also someone used as a

Long-term Picks (LTP) - When a regular is either facing a month or more out or has lost his spot seemingly to someone better, these are the players that emerge as potential long-term investments and are therefore the most valuable of the group and worth paying up. Great for any format, but especially valuable in draft leagues with limited waiver claims.

Let’s start things off with my favorite pick of the week in Andreas Christensen. The young Danish international finally returned to the club this summer after spending two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, where his stalwart performance caught the eye of Barcelona. After seeing inconsistent playing time to start the season, Christensen has been one of Antonio Conte’s most reliable defenders in recent weeks, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the last four games, where the club has recorded three cleans sheets.

My fear is that the defender will be rested for the weekend match against Newcastle to rotate the squad, but I think Christensen is a great way to break into the Chelsea defense with that upcoming schedule. David Luiz’s fallout has only worked in his favor, and since he’s available in more than 70 percent of leagues in our latest FPL Draft sample, I consider Christensen to be a long-term option

Another young defender that has impressed me lately is Jonjoe Kenny. The 20-year-old has proven his worth as a fullback, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in each of the last six Premier League games. And in this week’s 4-1 thrashing of West Ham, Kenny put together his best performance yet: an 11-point outing complete with a clean sheet, an assist and two bonus points.

The club’s upcoming schedule isn’t too bad with Huddersfield, Liverpool, Newcaslte and Swansea City leading up to Gameweek 19. The recent hiring of Sam Allardyce as manager could shake things up in the squad, but with Leighton Baines nursing an injury and Seamus Coleman out into the new year, Kenny looks like a solid short-term pick who is available in 99 percent of FPL Draft leagues.

MID–Marc Albrighton (Leicester City)

I’ve put this pick off for much of the past month, and Albrighton showed me why I should trust my instincts more over the past week alone. The winger has been started as a roaming forward alongside Jamie Vardy in recent weeks, which has finally resulted in consecutive man-of-the-match performances that earned his three points in two games this week, scoring a goal against West Ham and recording an assist in an upset win over Spurs this weekend.

Now, I wouldn’t go out of your way to add Albrighton to your squad if you’re already set in midfield, but he could make for an excellent fifth midfielder who is a guaranteed part of the club’s attack. And there’s no rush either: Albrighton is taken in only 7.7 percent of leagues in our latest FPL Draft sample, meaning you can monitor him given the Foxes’ favorable upcoming schedule.

I haven’t been completely sold on the bargain forwards over the last month considering most quality forwards will already be taken. But Andre Gray has quietly put together a solid month of November for Watford with two goals and three assists in November despite fighting for his starting spot in the club’s crowded attack.

The return and resurgence of Troy Deeney is concerning, but the club is invested in Andre Gray as one of its top summer investments after a nine-goal season at Burnley that proved himself in the top flight. Gray is taken in just a little more than half of our sample of FPL Draft leagues, but he could be worth a look as a third striker depending on your depth at the position.